State of Haredi Society Annual Report 2024
Eitan Regev | Yehudit Miletzky
The establishment of the Wohl Data Center and the publication of the State of Haredi Society annual report for 2024 was made possible through the generous support of the Wohl Foundation.
Demographics
Key Trends
Over the past decade, more than 110,000 Haredim have migrated away from core Haredi cities, with 74,000 leaving Jerusalem and 42,000 departing B’nei Brak.
This migration does not indicate a shift away from Haredi identity but rather an overflow effect driven by high fertility rates and escalating housing costs.
Many have relocated to Israel’s periphery, particularly northern cities such as Haifa, while Beit Shemesh remains an exception, attracting 40,000 new Haredi residents, many of them from Jerusalem.
Housing
Key Trends
The housing sector has seen a notable shift, with Haredi homeownership rates, which had remained stable at 69% until 2021, dropping by 4% in 2022.
This decline is attributed to rising housing prices and increasing mortgage interest rates, which have also driven up monthly mortgage payments by 11%.
Employment
Key Trends
Employment trends reveal increasing workforce participation, particularly among Haredi women, whose employment rate surged from 60% in 2014 to 80% in 2024.
Male employment has grown more slowly, from 48% to 54% over the same period, though younger men (ages 20-24) have entered the workforce at a higher rate, tripling from 10% to 30% in the past 17 years.
Despite these gains, a significant wage gap persists, with Haredi women earning 71% and Haredi men earning just 50% of their non-Haredi Jewish counterparts.
Notably, Haredi women now earn 11% more per hour than Haredi men.
Education
Key Trends
In education, the State-Haredi school system, which integrates a full public curriculum within a Haredi framework, has experienced rapid growth.
In 2024, enrollment in these schools doubled from 4% to 8% of Haredi students, adding 30 new schools.
This trend suggests evolving attitudes toward education and financial pressures that make fully private schools less viable.
Higher Education
Key Trends
Higher education participation is rising, with 14% of Haredi women and 4.2% of Haredi men (ages 25-49) now holding university degrees, up from 4% and 2.4% two decades ago.
However, Haredim with degrees continue to earn significantly less than their non-Haredi peers, and the wage gap is widening. Over the past decade, the average monthly salary of Haredi men with degrees has increased by just 4% (to ₪19.3k), while their non-Haredi Jewish counterparts have seen a 38% rise (to ₪32k).
Similar trends are observed among Haredi women, with the earnings gap driven largely by field selection and limited career advancement opportunities.
Household Economy
Key Trends
Haredi household earnings from salaries have risen by 57% between 2014 and 2022, outpacing the 46% growth among non-Haredi Jewish households.
Similarly, the taxes paid by Haredi households have increased by 62%, though their overall tax contributions remain lower due to lower income levels and larger family sizes.
While poverty remains a challenge, the rate has declined from 53% in 2014 to 39% in 2022.
Digitization
Key Trends
Digital adoption has reached record levels, with 71% of Haredim now using the internet—nearly doubling from 39% in 2014. However, internet usage patterns differ significantly from those of non-Haredim.
Desktop computers remain more common than smartphones, and online activities are focused more on email and information searches than on social media, gaming, or video communication.
